Firefighters rescue a man 50 feet up in a palm tree

San Diego, CA – A 55 year old tree trimmer became trapped under collapsed palm fronds 50 feet up a palm tree and was rescued by the San Diego Fire Department. The rescue ended when firefighters cut the man’s harness to pull him to safety as he hung suspended about 50 feet in the air with his legs wrapped around the palm and his upper body on a fire engine ladder. According to fire officials, the accident happened because the worker was cutting corners on the job. They say he was improperly tied in. He started climbing from below the fronds instead of setting a safety line over the crown of the tree. Officials stated it’s a faster method but extremely dangerous. The fronds can start to build up rather than fall down, potentially crushing the worker and suffocating them.